Garth Brooks: Five Croke Park concerts are unacceptable, say residents

The US country singer will play five shows in Croke Park in September 2022

A residents group representing people who live near Croke Park has branded the move to let Garth Brooks play five concerts there as "unacceptable".

The US country singer was originally scheduled to play two gigs at the GAA stadium in 2022.

But it was announced on Thursday morning that Brooks would play three extra dates.

It follows a similar row in 2014 which led to Brooks refusing to play any Dublin concerts at all.

Brooks said he cannot wait to play the gigs this time around.

Colm Stephens from Clonliffe and Croke Park Area Residents Association said An Bord Pleanála (Ireland's independent planning body) previously imposed a cap of three concerts and special events a year at Croke Park.

Mr Stephens told the BBC's Evening Extra that local people had previously been made aware of seven concerts scheduled to take place in Croke Park in 2022 but they only found out on Thursday that five would be Garth Brooks.

He said: "We voiced our objection long ago and have continued over many years.

"We've objected to the breaking of the cap of three concerts that was imposed when planning permission for the stadium was awarded back in the 1990s by the planning board."

Mr Stephens said Dublin City Council and Croke Park had granted permission for the four extra special events above the cap.

Ed Sheeran will also be playing two concerts at the stadium in April 2022

Croke Park, which has a seated capacity of more than 82,000, sits among terraced housing

Mr Stephens said some residents would consider moving out of their homes in September 2022 during the concerts.

He said: "What we see is that we are going to become prisoners in our houses.

"Our area is going to be cordoned off and locked down over two consecutive weekends in September and another in April...then it is going to be subjected to building works in the stadium before and after."

Mr Stephens said the only legal route to take would be a judicial review in the High Court which would could cost thousands of euros.

Garth Brooks announced three extra shows for Croke Park on Thursday when tickets went on sale.

About 400,00 tickets were sold for the concerts within hours of them going on sale on Thursday morning.

Brooks said it was "unbelievable" and told RTÉ it was "the greatest privilege and greatest joy an artist can have to play Ireland".

A meeting was held with the residents association in September after some local people living near Croke Park said they wanted to be left in peace.

At the time, the stadium's director Peter McKenna said views in the community were mixed.

He also felt the concerts would be a positive thing for the area after two years of covid restrictions.

• Meeting held over planned Garth Brooks Dublin gigs

Why are these concerts controversial?

Brooks was scheduled to play in Croke Park in 2014 and more than 400,000 tickets sold out within two hours.

However, his five shows were cancelled that year after Dublin City Council only granted licenses for three of the concerts to go ahead.

At the time, Brooks said it was "five shows or none at all".